Vacuum operated sheet registration mechanism

ABSTRACT

A sheet registration mechanism for a printing press, or the like, is disclosed in which a registration mechanism having a cam follower is slidably mounted between a pair of frame members and is under the control of a two-faced cam which is secured to a driven shaft. A control rod is inserted in a bore in the registration mechanism and two compression springs are located in the bore so that when the control rod is pushed inwardly one of the springs is compressed, and when the control rod is pulled outwardly, the other spring is compressed. The spring that is compressed determines which face of the cam will be engaged by the cam follower thereby allowing the sheet registration mechanism to provide either lefthand or righthand sheet registration. The sheet registration mechanism also has a plurality of fixed apertures and a pair of rotatable apertured hollow tubes located at opposite ends of the mechanism. The alignment of different sets of apertures in the hollow tubes with corresponding fixed apertures determines the area of the mechanism at which vacuum is available so that sheets of different widths may be accommodated.

Elite States atent [191 Wiase Jan. 14, 1975 VACUUM OPERATED SHEET REGISTRATION MECHANISM [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

Harry Wiase, Chicago, 111.

Illinois Tool Works Inc., Chicago, Ill.

22 Filed: Jan. 17, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 434,164

[52] US. Cl 271/239, 271/241, 271/250 [51] Int. Cl B6511 9/10 [58] Field of Search 271/241, 249, 252, 250,

Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant ExaminerBruce l-I. Stoner, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A sheet registration mechanism for a printing press, or the like, is disclosed in which a registration mechanism having a cam follower is slidably mounted between a pair of frame members and is under the control of a two-faced cam which is secured to a driven shaft. A control rod is inserted in a bore in the registration mechanism and two compression springs are located in the bore so that when the control rod is pushed inwardly one of the springs is compressed, and when the control rod is pulled outwardly, the other spring is compressed. The spring that is compressed determines which face of the cam will be engaged by the cam follower thereby allowing the sheet registration mechanism to provide either lefthand or righthand sheet registration. The sheet registration mechanism also has a plurality of fixed apertures and a pair of rotatable apertured hollow tubes located at opposite ends of the mechanism. The alignment of different sets of apertures in the hollow tubes with corresponding fixed apertures determines the area of the mechanism at which vacuum is available so that sheets of different widths may be accommodated.

27 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures mam] PATENT JAM 1 4191s saw 2 or a &

VACUUM OPERATED SHEET REGISTRATION MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to vacuum operated sheet registration mechanisms in which the edge of an incoming sheet is brought into registration before the sheet is fed to a printing press or the like. The registration mechanism of the present invention is advantageous over conventional registration mechanisms in that it is a relatively uncomplicated device which allows for independent adjustment of the available vacuum on both sides of the registration device while at the same time providing for accurate registration of the incoming sheet on either side of the press.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an uncomplicated vacuum sheet registration mechanism in which the incoming sheet may be registered to either side of the input of a printing press or the like.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vacuum operated sheet registration mechanism for a printing press or the like in which control of the operation of the registration mechanism is achieved by means of a control rod which when pushed in one direction compresses a spring that biases a cam follower carried by the registration mechanism towards one face of a driven cam so as to obtain sheet registration to one side of the printing press, and when the control rod is pulled in the opposite direction, a second spring is compressed to bias the cam follower to a second face of the cam so as to obtain sheet registration to the opposite side of the printing press.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a vacuum operated sheet registration mechanism for a printing press or the like in which vacuum on opposite sides of the registration mechanism may be controlled independently so that sheets of different widths can be accommodated wherein the adjustment is preferably accomplished by the rotation of an apertured hollow tube positioned in a bore of the mechanism so as to control the alignment of the apertures in the tube with fixed apertures that lead to the bore.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a vacuum operated sheet registration mechanism for a printing press or the like in which the sheet registration mechanism consists of two independently rotatable apertured hollow tubes each having a plurality of sets of apertures in them which are arranged so that one set of apertures may be selectively aligned with corresponding fixed apertures in the registration mechanism, wherein each of the apertured tubes preferably may be independently removed from the registration mechanism merely by pulling outwardly on their outer ends and the alignment of the sets of apertures of the tubes with the fixed apertures may be achieved by rotation of the apertured tubes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is described by reference to the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the vacuum registration mechanism of the present invention and an input feed station;

FIG. 2 shows the vacuum registration mechanism of FIG. I viewed along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vacuum mechanism of FIG. I viewed along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the bias force producing structure of the registration mechanism shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an end view of FIG. 1 showing various elements of the registration mechanism in dotted outline form;

FIG. 6 is a partial view of the cam follower and drive cam shown in FIG. 2, as viewed along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7a through 7e show one of the apertured hollow tubes removed from the registration mechanism and rotated so that different sets of apertures appear at the top portion of the vacuum tube as it is rotated; and

FIG. 8 shows an end view of the control rod which illustrates the relationship of the markings on the knob of the control rod to the rotational position of the associated hollow tube.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The vacuum operated registration mechanism of the present invention is useful for applications in which incoming sheets must be accurately registered prior to being fed to a machine which is to operate on the sheets. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is for use in a printing press although the invention may be used in various other applications. With the mechanism of the preferred embodiment of the present invention incoming sheets may be registered to either side of the printing press. In addition, vacuum adjustment of the registration mechanism may be made independently on either side of the registration mechanism so that the printing press may accommodate sheets of various widths.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5 there is shown the vacuum registration mechanism 12 of the present invention and a conventional feed table 14. The feed table 14 consists of a driven roller 16 and an idler roller 18 around which are wrapped a plurality of carrier bands 20 for carrying the incoming sheet forward towards the registration mechanism 12.

The vacuum operated sheet registration mechanism 12 includes an upper member 21 having a centrally located rectangular block section 23 and a pair of cylindrical removable hollow tubes 24 and 26 and a lower member 22. The tubes 24 and 26 pass through the shown in FIG. 4) when it is desired to vary the area on which the applied vacuum occurs along the length of the registration mechanism 12.. Vacuum is supplied by a suction pump (not shown which is connected to a hose 33 which is in turn attached to a vacuum hose attachment 35 that is secured to the lower member 22 of the registration mechanism 12. Suction is supplied through the tube 39 to a bore 41 in the central block section 23, and the bore 41 is in communication with the hollow interior of the tube 24 so that suction is applied through one set of the apertures 45a 45b whenever a corresponding set of apertures 44a 44b in the tube 24 are in alignment with this set of apertures. The cam follower 30 is carried by the lower member 22 so as to direct registration of an incoming sheet that is held in place by the vacuum available through the selected set of apertures to one side or the other of the printing press due to interaction of the cam follower 30 with the cam 31, in accordance with the setting of the biasing structure 28 that is associated with the lower member 22.

The adjustment of the vacuum of the vacuum registration mechanism in order to accommodate sheets of different widths is described below by reference to FIGS. 1, 3, 7a 7e and 8. As can be seen by reference to FIG. 1 the registration mechanism 12 has twelve apertures in each of the end sections 27 and 29. These apertures are divided into two sets of six apertures in each of the end sections 27 and 29. The tubes 24 and 26 are also provided with twelve apertures each, but the apertures in the tubes 24 and 26 are arranged into four sets of three apertures per set, as shown by the sets of apertures 44a 44d in FIGS. 7a 7e. Each set of apertures 44a 44d are displaced with respect to each of the sets of apertures so that as the tube is rotated a different set of apertures will be in alignment with the fixed apertures 45a 45d as the knob 46 is rotated through the setting A,B,C,D and OFF. Suction may thus be provided through a selected group of apertures in the outer members 27 and 29 which overlie the corresponding sets of apertures 44a 44d in the tubes 24 and 26. The apertures 45a 45d located at the bottom of an elongated recess 48 assist in spreading the area of the vacuum over a larger portion of the incoming sheet.

The manner in which the vacuum tube 24 is positioned so that the apertures 44a 44d may be positioned into alignment with the fixed apertures 45a 45d is best shown by reference to FIGS. 4 and 7a 7e. For example, if the tube 24 is aligned in the OFF position as shown in FIG. 7a, none of the apertures will be positioned at the upper portion of the tube 24, which is the portion that faces the viewer, and the vacuum will be blocked. If the tube 24 is rotated to the position shown in FIG. 7b the apertures 44a will be in alignment with the apertures 45a in the outer member 27 a section area will be provided at the innermost portion of the section 2 so that a sheetof relatively narrow width may be fed to the printing press. As the tube 24 is rotated, in a counter-clockwise direction the aperture 44b will come into alignment with the apertures 45b as shown in FIG. 7b. In this position a somewhat wider sheet may be fed to the press.

In a like manner, when the tube 24 is rotated to the position shown in FIG. 7c the apertures 440 will be aligned with the apertures 45c so as to provide registration for even wider sheets. If the tube 24 is rotated to the position shown in FIG. 7d, the apertures 44d will be aligned with the apertures 45d and suction will thereby be provided for the maximum width of sheet that may be handled by the press.

The vacuum tube 26 on the right side of the registration mechanism 12 is identical to the vacuum tube 24 and it operates in the same manner. The vacuum adjustment for the tube 24 and 26 are, however, independent of one another. In addition to selecting which set of apertures 44a 44d will be effective in supplying suction to the incoming sheet the tubes 24 and 26 may be rotated so as to be misaligned with respect to the associated apertures 45a 45d, thereby controlling the amount of suction that is available through these apertures.

Rotation of the vacuum tubes 24 and 26 from one adjustment setting to another is aided by the detent indentations 56 that are found on a reduced diameter section 50 at the inner ends of the tubes 24 and 26. The reduced diameter section 50 extends into the corresponding reduced diameter bore 41 in the central block section 23. The five indentations 56 on the reduced diameter section 52 correspond to the settings A, B. C, D, and OFF of the adjustment knob 46. A spring loaded mating detent pin 58 (shown in FIG. 3) cooperates with the indentations 56 as the tube 24 is rotated.

In order to assist in returning the tubes 24 and 26 in the bore 41, the reduced diameter section 50 is provided with a groove 59 which cooperates with a sprng loaded pin 61 that is lcoated adjacent the detent pin 58. The tubes 24 and 26 may, however, be pulled entirely out of the bores 42 for inspection or cleaning purposes if a force sufficient to overcome the restraint imposed by the groove 59 and the pin'61 is applied outwardly on them.

Support of the registration mechanism 12 in the frame members 34 and 36 is provided primarily by a control rod 64, which is inserted through an aperture 66 in the frame member'34, and by a stud68 which is inserted through an aperture 70 in the frame member 36. The stud 68 has an inner threaded portion (not shown), which is threaded to mating threads on the lower member 22, and it is slidable in the aperture 70 so that the registration mechanism 12 may be moved back and forth to a limited extent between the frame members 34 and 36.

Movement of the registration mechanism 12 to achieve lefthand or righthhand registration is achieved by means of the cam follower 30 which rides in a twofaced cam 31 which is secured to the driven shaft 76. The cam 31, as shown in FIG. 6, has a cam channel 74 which is slightly wider than the outer diameter of the cam follower 30 so that the cam follower 30 may ride against either the left face 78 or the right face 80, but not both. In order to control whether lefthand or righthand registration is provided, the cam follower 30 must be biased so that it engages either the left face 78 or the right face of the cam 31. As the cam 31 and the shaft 76 is driven, the cam follower 30 moves in a narrow or high segment 77 of the cam 31 until it enters the wide segment 79 where the cam follower 30 will move either to the left face 78 or to the right face 80, in accordance with the setting of the biasing structure 28. Thus, when the cam follower 30 is in the high" segment 77 of the cam 31 the registration mechanism 12 will be positioned in approximately the center of the table 14 until the cam follower 30 passes into the low" segment at which time the incoming sheet will be registered to either the left or the righthand side of the press in accordance with the force that is applied to the registration mechanism 12 by the biasing structure 28.

The manner in which the lefthand or righthand biasing force is selected and applied to the registration mechanism 12 is best shown by reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The lower member 22 is secured to the upper member 21 by means of the screws 73, and it supports the inner end of both the control rod 64 and the stud 68. The lower member 22 has an internal bore which has a relatively large entrance portion 92 and a relatively small terminal portion 94. The control rod 64 which extends through the entrance portion 92 into the terminal portion 94 is supported by a bearing 93 at the inlet to the entrance portion 92 and by second bearing 97 at the entrance to the terminal portion 94.

For the purpose of supplying the necessary biasing forces a first compression spring 96 is inserted into the small diameter terminal section 94 between the end wall 98 of the bore 90 and the inner end 65 of the control rod 64, and a second spring 102 surrounds the control rod 64 and is inserted between the outer face of a collar 100 that is secured to the control rod 64 and the inner face of the bearing 93. A handle 106 is provided at the outer end of the control rod 64 for controlling the position of a locating pin 108 which extends through the rod 64. The frame member 34 has a pair of elongated slots 110 and 112 which extend from the shaft aperture 66 and are of a size which is sufficient to allow the pin 108 to pass through them when the control rod 64 is properly aligned. This allows the entire registration mechanism 12 to be shifted to the left or to the right merely by pushing on or pulling on the handle 106 when the pin 108 is in alignment with the slots 110 and 112.

When the handle 106 is pushed inwardly and twisted a quarter of a turn the pin 108 will be locked against the inside surface 34a of the frame member 34. The spring 96 will then be compressed and it will create a rightwardly directed force on the end 65 of the control rod 64 and a leftwardly directed force on the registration mechanism 12 as viewed in FIG. 2. When the spring 96 is compressed, the spring 102 will not be compressed. The compression force that is supplied to the spring 96 will be limited due to the fact that the collar 100 of the control rod 64 cannot pass the shoulder 99 at the entrance to the terminal portion 94 of the bore 90. This leftwardly directed force of the registration mechanism 12 causes the cam follower to come into contact with the lefthand face 78 of the cam 31 when a cam follower '30 passes from the high segment 77 into the low segment 79 of the rotating cam 31. The result is that the incoming sheet will be registered to the lefthand side of the press as shown in FIG. 2.

When the handle 106 is then turned so that the control rod 64 is positioned so that the pin 108 is aligned with the slots 110 and 112 and is pulled outwardly, the pin 108 will pass to the outside of the frame member 34. If the control handle 106 is then given a quarter turn, the pin 108 will be locked against the outer surface 34b of the frame member 34. The compressive force on the spring 96 will then be released and the spring 102 will be compressed between the collar 100 and the bearing 93. When the spring 102 is compressed, a leftwardly directed force will be supplied to the control rods 64 through the collar 100 and an equal and oppositely directed force will be provided to the registration mechanism 12 through the bearing 93. This rightwardly directed force on the bearing 93, as viewed in FIG. 2, forces the cam follower 30 into contact with the righthand face 80 of the cam 31 of the low segment 79 of the cam 31. In this case the incoming sheet will be registered to the righthand side of the printing ress. p The extent of movement of the registration mechanism 12 to the left or to the right is limited by means of adjustable limit stops 83 and 85 which are secured to a fixed rod 87 that extends between the frame. members 34 and 36. The rod 87 has a forward facing V- shaped notch 89 (shown in FIG. 5) and thumb screws 91 which cooperate with the notch 89 to hold the stops 83 and 85 in place at a desired location. The stops 83 and 85 have two protruding blades 95 and 97 which fit into mating grooves 101 and 103 which extend along the entire length of the outer sections 27 and 29. The stops 83 and 85 determine the left and righthand extent of movement of the registration mechanism 12 caused by the interaction of the cam 31 and the cam follower 30.

While a particular embodiment has been shown and described, other embodiments within the spirit and scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are extended to be included herein to the extent that they are embraced within the claims and the legal equivalent thereof.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A feeding mechanism for selectively providing registration of material to either a first side or a second side comprising feed means movable from a nominal central location towards either said first side or towards said second side, follower means secured to said feed means, cam means positioned to cooperate with said follower means and constructed to have at least a first cam face and a second cam face, drive means for driving said cam means, first bias means for forcing said follower means into engagement with said first cam face, second bias means for forcing said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and control means for selectively causing either said first bias means or said second bias means to function, said first cam face being configurated such that said feed means will be driven from said nominal location toward said first side when said first bias means is functioning and from said nominal location toward said second side when said second bias means is functioning and material is being fed by said feeding mechanism.

2. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein said feed means is a vacuum operated means that employs suction for feeding said material.

3. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim '2 wherein said first bias means comprises a compressible first spring which when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said first cam face and said second bias means comprises a compressible second spring when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and said control means is selectively operable so as to compress either said first spring or said second spring.

4. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first bias means comprises a compressible first spring which when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said first cam face and said second bias means comprises a compressiblev second spring when compressed forces said follower sitioned in said bore between the inner end of said bore and the inner end of said rod such that said rod will compress said first spring when said rod is forced toward the inner end of said bore, said second spring is positioned to encircle said rod and is disposed between said collar and the outer end of said bore, a bearing for said rod is disposed adjacent the outer end of said bore such that said second spring will be compressed between said collar and said bearing when said rod is forced away from the inner end of said bore and said feeding mechanism comprises lock means for locking said rod in position once either said first or said second spring has been selectively compressed.

6. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mechanism comprises a frame having first and second spaced-apart frame members located at said first and said second sides, respectively, and said feed means is mounted so as to be movable between said frame members.

7. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 6 wherein said feed means is a vacuum operated means that employs suction for feeding said material.

8. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first bias means comprises a compressible first spring which when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said first cam face and said second bias means comprises a compressible second spring when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and said control means is selectively operable so as to compress either said first spring or said second spring.

9. A feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 8 wherein said feeding mechanism comprises an elongated member that extends between said first and second frame members and first and second limit stops are supported by said elongated member and are adjustable along said elongated member for limiting the motion of said feed means towards said first and said second sides, respectively.

10. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 8 wherein said feed means has a bore that extends part of the way through said feed means, said control means comprises a rod having an inner end which extends into said bore and a collar which surrounds said rod intermediate its inner and outer ends, said first spring is positioned in said bore between the inner end of said bore and the inner end of said rod such that said rod will compress said first spring when said rod is forced toward the inner end of said bore, said second spring is positioned to encircle said rod and is disposed between said collar and the outer end of said bore, a bearing for said rod is disposed adjacent the outer end of said bore such that said second spring will be compressed between said collar and said bearing when said rod is forced away from the inner end of said bore and said feeding mechanism comprises lock means for locking said rod in position once either said first or said second spring has been selectively compressed.

11. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 10 wherein said rod has a transverse pin running therethrough, said rod extends through an aperture in said first frame member and said first frame member has an inner surface and an outer surface and a slot therethrough which allows for passage of said pin when said slot and said pin are in alignment so that said pin may be selectively locked against the inner surface of said first frame member when said first spring is to be compressed and against the outer surface of said first frame member when said second spring is to be compressed.

12. A feeding mechanism as set forth in claim ll wherein said feeding mechanism comprises an elongated member that extends between said first and second frame members and first and second limit stops are supported by said elongated member and are adjustable along said elongated member for limiting the motion of said feed means toward said first and said second sides, respectively.

13. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 12 wherein said feed means is a vacuum operated means that employs suction for feeding said material.

14. A feeding mechanism for selectively accommo dating different widths of material comprising an elongated outer member having a bore therein and a plurality of apertures located along the length thereof which are in communication with said bore, a hollow elongated rotatable inner member having a section which is constructed to fit into said bore and which has a plurality of apertures therein which lead to the hollow interior of said inner member and means to supply a vacuum to said hollow interior of said inner member, said plurality of apertures in said inner and outer members being positioned in said respective inner and outer members such that when relative rotation occurs between said inner and outer members the resulting vacuum may occur at a selected one of a number of possible areas along the length of said feeding mechanism due to the alignment of predetermined apertures in said inner and outer members so as to accommodate the particular width of the material that is to be fed by said feeding mechanism, said apertures of said inner and outer members being positioned such that a plurality of apertures in said inner member and a corresponding number of apertures in said outer member may be aligned at each of said possible areas by rotation of said inner member through predetermined angles with respect to said outer member wherein each of said possible areas is represented by a predetermined angular rotational setting of said inner member, said inner member comprising a plurality of indentations each of which corresponds to a particular angular rotational setting of said inner member and said feeding mechanism comprising a resiliently biased detent means for cooperation with said indentations for providing detent action in correspondence with the selection of any of said possible areas, said inner member being completely removable from said outer member by applying an outwardly directed force on said inner member and having a groove therein and said feeding mechanism further comprising a resiliently biased holding means for cooperation with said groove for providing holding action of said inner member with respect to said outer member which may be overcome by the application of sufficient outwardly directed force on said inner member.

15. A feeding mechanism for selectively accommodating different widths of material comprising an elongated outer member having a bore therein and a plurality of apertures located along the length thereof which are in communication with said bore, a hollow elongated rotatable inner member having a section which is constructed to fit into said bore and which has a plurality of apertures therein which lead to the hollow interior of said inner member and means to supply a vacuum to said hollow interior of said inner member, said plurality of apertures in said inner and outer members being positioned to said respective inner and outer members such that when relative rotation occurs between said inner and outer members the resulting vac uum may occur at a selected one of a number of possible areas along the length of said feeding mechanism due to the alignment of predetermined apertures in said inner and outer members so as to accommodate the particular width of the material that is to be fed by said feeding mechanism, said inner member being completely removable from said outer member by applying an outwardly directed force on said inner member and having a groove therein and said feeding mechanism further comprising a resiliently biased holding means for cooperation with said groove for providing holding action of said inner member with respect to said outer member which may be overcome by the application of sufficient outwardly directed force on said inner member.

16. A feeding mechanism for accommodating different widths of material and for selectively providing registration of said material to either a first side or to a second side comprising an elongated outer member which has a bore therein and a plurality of apertures therein which are in communication with said bore and is movable from a nominal central location towards either said first side or towards said second side, a hollow elongated rotatable elongated inner member having a section which is constructed to fit into said bore so as to be movable therewith and which has a plurality of apertures therein which lead to the hollow interior of said inner member and means to supply a vacuum to said hollow interior of said inner member, said plurality of apertures in said inner and outer members being positioned in said respective inner and outer members such that when relative rotation occurs between said inner and outer members the resulting vacuum may occur at a selected one of a number of possible areas along the length of said feeding mechanism due to the alignment of predetermined apertures in said inner and outer members so as to accommodate the particular width of the material that is to be fed by said feeding mechanism, follower means secured to saidouter member, cam means positioned to cooperate with said follower means and constructed to have at least a first cam face and a second cam face, drive means for driving said cam means, first bias means for forcing said following means into engagement with said first cam face, second bias means for forcing said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and control means for selectively causing either said first bias means or said second bias means to function, said first cam face being configurated such that said outer member will be driven from said central location toward said first side when said first bias means is functioning and from said nominal location toward said second side when said second bias means is functioning and material is being fed by said feeding mechanism.

17. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 16 wherein said first bias means comprising a compressible first spring which when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said first cam face and said second bias means comprises a compressible second spring when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and said control means is selectively operable so as to compress either said first spring or said second spring.

18. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim l6 wherein said mechanism comprises a frame having first and second spaced-apart frame members located at said first and said second sides, respectively, and said feed means is mounted so as to be movable between said frame members.

19. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 18 wherein said first bias means comprises a compressible first spring which when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said first cam face and said second bias means comprises a compressible second spring when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and said control means is selectively operable so as to compress either said first spring or said second spring.

20. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 19 wherein said feed means has a bore that extends part of the way through said feed means, said control means comprises a rod having an inner end which extends into said bore and a collar which surrounds said rod intermediate its inner and outer ends, said first spring is positioned in said bore between the inner end of said bore and the inner end of said rod such that said rod will compress said first spring when said rod is forced toward the inner end of said bore, said second spring is positioned to encircle said rod and is disposed between said collar and the outer end of said bore, a bearing for said rod is disposed adjacent the outer end of said bore such that said second spring will be compressed between said collar and said bearing when said rod is forced away from the inner end of said bore and said feeding mechanism comprises lock means for locking said rod in position once either said first or said second spring has been selectively compressed.

21. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 20 wherein said rod has a transverse pin running therethrough, said rod extends through an aperture in said first frame member and said first frame member has an inner surface and an outer surface and a slot therethrough which allows for passage of said pin when said slot and said pin are in alignment so that said pin may be selectively locked against the inner surface of said first frame member when said first spring is to be compressed or against the outer surface of said first frame member when said second spring is to be compressed.

22. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 16 wherein said apertures of said inner and outer members are positioned such that a plurality of apertures in said inner member and a corresponding number of apertures in said outer member may be aligned at each of said possible areas by rotation of said inner member through predetermined angles with respect to said outer member.

23. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 22 wherein each of said possible areas is represented by a predetermined angular rotational setting of said inner member, said inner member comprises a plurality of indentations each of which corresponds to a particular angular rotational setting of said inner member and said feeding mechanism comprises a resiliently biased detent means for cooperation with said indentations for providing detent action in correspondence with the selection of any of said possible areas.

24. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 23 wherein said inner member may be completely removed from said outer member by applying an outwardly directed force on said inner member.

wardly directed force on said inner member.

27. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 26 wherein said inner member has a groove therein and said feeding mechanism comprises a resiliently biased holding means for cooperation with said groove for providing holding action of said inner member with respect to said outer member which may be overcome by the application of sufficient outwardly directed force on said inner member. 

1. A feeding mechanism for selectively providing registration of material to either a first side or a second side comprising feed means movable from a nominal central location towards either said first side or towards said second side, follower means secured to said feed means, cam means positioned to cooperate with said follower means and constructed to have at least a first cam face and a second cam face, drive means for driving said cam means, first bias means for forcing said follower means into engagement with said first cam face, second bias means for forcing said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and control means for selectively causing either said first bias means or said second bias means to function, said first cam face being configurated such that said feed means will be driven from said nominal location toward said first side when said first bias means is functioning and from said nominal location toward said second side when said second bias means is functioning and material is being fed by said feeding mechanism.
 2. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein said feed means is a vacuum operated means that employs suction for feeding said material.
 3. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first bias means comprises a compressible first spring which when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said first cam face and said second bias means comprises a compressible second spring when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and said control means is selectively operable so as to compress either said first spring or said second spring.
 4. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first bias means comprises a compressible first spring which when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said first cam face and said second bias means comprises a compressible second spring when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and said control is selectively operable so as to compress either said first spring or said second spring.
 5. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 4 wherein said feed means has a bore that extends part of the way through said feed means, said control means comprises a rod having an inner end which extends into said bore and a collar which surrounds said rod intermediate its inner and outer ends, said first spring is positioned in said bore between the inner end of said bore and the inner end of said rod such that said rod will compress said first spring when said rod is forced toward the inner end of said bore, said second spring is positioned to encircle said rod and is disposed between said collar and the outer end of said bore, a bearing for said rod is disposed adjacent the outer end of said bore such that said second spring will be compressed between said collar and said bearing when said rod is forced away from the inner end of said bore and said feeding mechanism comprises lock means for locking said rod in position once either said first or said second spring has been selectively compressed.
 6. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mechanism comprises a frame having first and second spaced-apart frame members located at said first and said second sides, respectively, and said feed means is mounted so as to be movable between said frame members.
 7. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 6 wherein said feed means is a vacuum operated means that employs suction for feeding said material.
 8. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first bias means comprises a compressible first spring which when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said first cam face and said second bias means comprises a compressible second spring when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and said control means is selectively operable so as to compress either said first spring or said second spring.
 9. A feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 8 wherein said feeding mechanism comprises an elongated member that extends between said first and second frame members and first and second limit stops are supported by said elongated member and are adjustable along said elongated member for limiting the motion of said feed means towards said first and said second sides, respectively.
 10. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 8 wherein said feed means has a bore that extends part of the way through said feed means, said control means comprises a rod having an inner end which extends into said bore and a collar which surrounds said rod intermediate its inner and outer ends, said first spring is positioned in said bore between the inner end of said bore and the inner end of said rod such that said rod will compress said first spring when said rod is forced toward the inner end of said bore, said second spring is positioned to encircle said rod and is disposed between said collar and the outer end of said bore, a bearing for said rod is disposed adjacent the outer end of said bore such that said second spring will be compressed between said collar and said bearing when said rod is forced away from the inner end of said bore and said feeding mechanism comprises lock means for locking said rod in position once either said first or said second spring has been selectively compressed.
 11. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 10 wherein said rod has a transverse pin running therethrough, said rod extends through an aperture in said first frame member and said first frame member has an inner surface and an outer surface and a slot therethrough which allows for passage of said pin when said slot and said pin are in alignment so that said pin may be selectively locked against the inner surface of said first frame member when said first spring is to be compressed and against the outer surface of said first frame member when said second spring is to be compressed.
 12. A feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 11 wherein said feeding mechanism comprises an elongated member that extends between said first and second frame members and first and second limit stops are supported by said elongated member and are adjustable along said elongated member for limiting the motion of said feed means toward said first and said second sides, respectively.
 13. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 12 wherein said feed means is a vacuum operated means that employs suction for feeding said material.
 14. A feeding mechanism for selectively accommodating different widths of material comprising an elongated outer member having a bore therein and a plurality of apertures located along the length thereof which are in communication with said bore, a hollow elongated rotatable inner member having a section which is constructed to fit into said bore and which has a plurality of apertures therein which lead to the hollow interior of said inner member and means to supply a vacuum to said hollow interior of said inner member, said plurality of apertures in said inner and outer members being positioned in said respective inner and outer members such that when relative rotation occurs between said inner and outer members the resulting vacuum may occur at a selected one of a number of possible areas along the length of said feeding mechanism due to the alignment of predetermined apertures in said inner and outer members so as to accommodate the particular width of the material that is to be fed by said feeding mechanism, said apertures of said inner and outer members being positioned such that a plurality of apertures in said inner member and a corresponding number of apertures in said outer member may be aligned at each of said possible areas by rotation of said inner member through predetermined angles with respect to said outer member wherein each of said possible areas is represented by a predetermined angular rotational Setting of said inner member, said inner member comprising a plurality of indentations each of which corresponds to a particular angular rotational setting of said inner member and said feeding mechanism comprising a resiliently biased detent means for cooperation with said indentations for providing detent action in correspondence with the selection of any of said possible areas, said inner member being completely removable from said outer member by applying an outwardly directed force on said inner member and having a groove therein and said feeding mechanism further comprising a resiliently biased holding means for cooperation with said groove for providing holding action of said inner member with respect to said outer member which may be overcome by the application of sufficient outwardly directed force on said inner member.
 15. A feeding mechanism for selectively accommodating different widths of material comprising an elongated outer member having a bore therein and a plurality of apertures located along the length thereof which are in communication with said bore, a hollow elongated rotatable inner member having a section which is constructed to fit into said bore and which has a plurality of apertures therein which lead to the hollow interior of said inner member and means to supply a vacuum to said hollow interior of said inner member, said plurality of apertures in said inner and outer members being positioned to said respective inner and outer members such that when relative rotation occurs between said inner and outer members the resulting vacuum may occur at a selected one of a number of possible areas along the length of said feeding mechanism due to the alignment of predetermined apertures in said inner and outer members so as to accommodate the particular width of the material that is to be fed by said feeding mechanism, said inner member being completely removable from said outer member by applying an outwardly directed force on said inner member and having a groove therein and said feeding mechanism further comprising a resiliently biased holding means for cooperation with said groove for providing holding action of said inner member with respect to said outer member which may be overcome by the application of sufficient outwardly directed force on said inner member.
 16. A feeding mechanism for accommodating different widths of material and for selectively providing registration of said material to either a first side or to a second side comprising an elongated outer member which has a bore therein and a plurality of apertures therein which are in communication with said bore and is movable from a nominal central location towards either said first side or towards said second side, a hollow elongated rotatable elongated inner member having a section which is constructed to fit into said bore so as to be movable therewith and which has a plurality of apertures therein which lead to the hollow interior of said inner member and means to supply a vacuum to said hollow interior of said inner member, said plurality of apertures in said inner and outer members being positioned in said respective inner and outer members such that when relative rotation occurs between said inner and outer members the resulting vacuum may occur at a selected one of a number of possible areas along the length of said feeding mechanism due to the alignment of predetermined apertures in said inner and outer members so as to accommodate the particular width of the material that is to be fed by said feeding mechanism, follower means secured to said outer member, cam means positioned to cooperate with said follower means and constructed to have at least a first cam face and a second cam face, drive means for driving said cam means, first bias means for forcing said following means into engagement with said first cam face, second bias means for forcing said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and control means for selectively causing either said first bias means or said second bias means to function, said first cam face being configurated such that said outer member will be driven from said central location toward said first side when said first bias means is functioning and from said nominal location toward said second side when said second bias means is functioning and material is being fed by said feeding mechanism.
 17. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 16 wherein said first bias means comprising a compressible first spring which when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said first cam face and said second bias means comprises a compressible second spring when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and said control means is selectively operable so as to compress either said first spring or said second spring.
 18. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 16 wherein said mechanism comprises a frame having first and second spaced-apart frame members located at said first and said second sides, respectively, and said feed means is mounted so as to be movable between said frame members.
 19. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 18 wherein said first bias means comprises a compressible first spring which when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said first cam face and said second bias means comprises a compressible second spring when compressed forces said follower means into engagement with said second cam face and said control means is selectively operable so as to compress either said first spring or said second spring.
 20. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 19 wherein said feed means has a bore that extends part of the way through said feed means, said control means comprises a rod having an inner end which extends into said bore and a collar which surrounds said rod intermediate its inner and outer ends, said first spring is positioned in said bore between the inner end of said bore and the inner end of said rod such that said rod will compress said first spring when said rod is forced toward the inner end of said bore, said second spring is positioned to encircle said rod and is disposed between said collar and the outer end of said bore, a bearing for said rod is disposed adjacent the outer end of said bore such that said second spring will be compressed between said collar and said bearing when said rod is forced away from the inner end of said bore and said feeding mechanism comprises lock means for locking said rod in position once either said first or said second spring has been selectively compressed.
 21. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 20 wherein said rod has a transverse pin running therethrough, said rod extends through an aperture in said first frame member and said first frame member has an inner surface and an outer surface and a slot therethrough which allows for passage of said pin when said slot and said pin are in alignment so that said pin may be selectively locked against the inner surface of said first frame member when said first spring is to be compressed or against the outer surface of said first frame member when said second spring is to be compressed.
 22. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 16 wherein said apertures of said inner and outer members are positioned such that a plurality of apertures in said inner member and a corresponding number of apertures in said outer member may be aligned at each of said possible areas by rotation of said inner member through predetermined angles with respect to said outer member.
 23. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 22 wherein each of said possible areas is represented by a predetermined angular rotational setting of said inner member, said inner member comprises a plurality of indentations each of which corresponds to a particular angular rotational setting of said inner member and said feeding mechanism comprises a resiliently biased detent means for cooperation with said indentations for providing detent action in correspondence with the sElection of any of said possible areas.
 24. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 23 wherein said inner member may be completely removed from said outer member by applying an outwardly directed force on said inner member.
 25. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 24 wherein said inner member has a groove therein and said feeding mechanism comprises a resiliently biased holding means for cooperation with said groove for providing holding action of said inner member with respect to said outer member which may be overcome by the application of sufficient outwardly directed force on said inner member.
 26. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 16 wherein said inner member may be completely removed from said outer member by applying an outwardly directed force on said inner member.
 27. A feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 26 wherein said inner member has a groove therein and said feeding mechanism comprises a resiliently biased holding means for cooperation with said groove for providing holding action of said inner member with respect to said outer member which may be overcome by the application of sufficient outwardly directed force on said inner member. 